http://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29723

Yeah, the weather at the Tennessee Tree Toppers 2012 Team
Challenge sucked. It rained, then it poured, then it got foggy and teased us
with day after day of “almost-ready-to-go-off” conditions, then it got windy
(cross and tail, of course), then it got cold, and then the comp was over. Most
unfortunate, but even the bad weather wasn’t enough to spoil TC 2012 because the
Tree Toppers have managed to create what others have long claimed impossible: A
weather-proof hang gliding competition.

On the day before TC 2012, everyone arrived to ridge-soarable conditions with
generous thermals and pilots took to the sky with glee. The normally roomy and
peaceful stretch of ridge near the famous Henson Gap radial ramp was crowded
with colorful, swooping wings as pilots who hadn’t seen each other in a year
greeted each other with waving, whoops, and hollers. It was a lot of fun for
those soaring the ridge lift, and even more fun for those that figured out how
to step-climb the elongated thermals to get up to where the lift was more
organized. It was a great start!

That night, however, the rain started… and the next morning the contingency plan
kicked in. Seminars, stories, lessons, and discussions on everything from the
finer points of flare timing to how to use weather radar to see a gust front
before it hits. Cross country skills, using equipment, assessing conditions,
risk management, choosing an LZ from the air, gaggle flying, communications,
team flying… the seminars were plentiful and valuable! Ollie Gregory held back
his sleep-inducing weather seminar this year and talked instead about practicing
cross-country flying skills on every flight, sharing techniques that will make
any pilot who uses them more capable of safe and efficient cross-country flying.

See much more at the link above.

In the mornings, Mitch Shipley and Jim Rooney used Mitch’s mighty
electric winch, “E.T.”, to tow pilots up for real-life landing practice with
immediate feedback and suggestions. Several pilots, especially a couple of the
younger ones, were astounded at how easily they fixed their landing flaws after
participating in Jim Rooney’s landing technique clinics.

Ollie writes:

After a couple of bummer weather years, and a trend for less
experienced “C” pilots registering for TC, I have decided to move the meet to
earlier in the year.